Dare to dream again!

Growing up, the famous question, “What do you want to be when you grow up ?” popped up every now and then. Without hesitation, we would boldly declare how great we would become, accomplishing mighty exploits, always winning and conquering the world. However, when we grow up at times things do not seem rosy and it does not feel like we are winning at all. It takes intentionality to keep the dream alive.

When l was young I would say, “When l grow up l want to be an air hostess, traveling all over the world.” My other dream was to have a pet dolphin. Even today, l still dream of having my own dolphin.

Photo by Coral Grandbois on Pexels.com

I love the dolphin because it is intelligent and playful. However, for me to have my very own flipper l would have to own a beach house. Seems so far-fetched right? Nevertheless, when l am thinking about my future l actually believe that one day have my own holiday house on a seashore and finally have my own pet dolphin.l am sure you also have your own dreams, dreams to establish the biggest business in your industry, to excel in your career, travel the world, build a mansion or buy that Bentley. It is dreams like these that put smiles on our faces when our worlds seem to be crumbling around us.

Someone once said, if your dreams don’t scare you then you haven’t started dreaming. With that in mind, I pose a question to you, are you still dreaming big?

Some might say that as kids we were naive and ignorant of the curveballs that life throws every now and then. For most, the perception when we were kids was that the world is perfect which meant that our lives have to be perfect. The goal was to get perfect grades, go to the perfect university then have a perfect career, buy the perfect car and house. To top it up, a perfect marriage with perfect kids. When we do not get our perfect and happy lives it feels like we have failed.

When we grew up life happened and we were awakened from our perfect little world, our little bubble was burst. The storms hit when we least expected them which means were most likely not prepared to face them and the aftermath was devastating. The storm might have been the death of a parent, a failed business or marriage, sickness, accidents, the loss of a job.. the list is endless. Pain can make us numb or bitter. Failure and disappointment might leave us scarred and hopeless. Fear and trauma can cripple us to the point that we cannot make any bold moves or at any movement at all.

At times we settle for second best because we think that’s all we will ever have. We end up living in the “half a loaf is better than nothing” world always. We accept way less than we know we deserve because we are too scared to try again or we think that little is all we will ever have and we are scared that if we reach out for more we will lose everything including the little we are holding on to. I challenge you not to be satisfied with or settle for second best. Don’t get me wrong, l am not saying that you should not take small strides but rather be thankful for every step and what you have achieved so far but keep reaching for your goals.

As we come to the end of the year, I want to dare you to start dreaming again. Remember the drive you once had as a child before adulting happened. Instead of throwing a pity party for yourself and constantly reminiscing over how hard life has hit you and how unfortunate you have been, start afresh and remember the zeal you used to have about life and how much you believed in yourself. Always remember to write that vision down (where you can see it every day). Sometimes you need to go back to the drawing board and restrategize. Even when it seems impossible, take a leap of faith and do something about your dreams.

As long as you are alive, so is your dream. Child-like faith is a must always for you to keep the dream alive. See beyond your current situation and focus on the dream. It’s time to dream again.